Kockeriet

The TV chef can be seen everywhere, except perhaps at his own restaurant, but Tareq Taylor’s hand is nevertheless evident in most of what goes on in this attractive yellow building in Malmö’s older quarter. Kockeriet has become one of Malmö’s most popular restaurants, and everybody can truly feel at home here. The tasting menus are inspired by the Skåne landscape, and local ingredients are married to modern kitchen techniques. In the three small appetisers, flavours can sweep from Asia right across to a fabulous nibble of artichoke that you have to lift by the stem. Then comes the menu of subdued, familiar flavours from Skåne’s forests, in classic combinations. The menu is just as amiable and cosy as Tareq himself seems to be, and wines are so symbiotically matched with the food that it almost eludes you as you are safely guided to French, Italian and South African bottlings. The down-to-earth, friendly service is in counterpoint with many show elements at the table. One of the most eye-catching is when the waitress has to scoop out the contents of a salt-baked celeriac, lay it on a plate, strew it with hazelnuts, top it symmetrically with a piece of preserved pear and then finish with a layer of cheese foam sprayed from a huge siphon – all actions requiring both courage and self-confidence. Plus, the result is fabulously good – a fluffy cloud of yummy stuff, the sweet pear merging flavours with the celeriac and the salty cheese. The Skåne pig with horseradish and anchovy is another display of balance, and Kockeriet proves that it’s possible to surprise and impress even in the traditional realm, without ostentatious flourishes. Besides the siphon, that is. Otherwise it’s the staff’s warm smiles that contribute most to the atmosphere – on the faces of the cooks in the narrow open kitchen that runs the length of the dining room as well as on the waiters’. You are comfortably seated on light grey Windsor-style chairs (Lilla Åland), the sound level is pleasant, and the lighting adapted to a cosy evening under the roof beams. The wine package can be ordered in reduced form, i e half glasses, if you so wish. Everything is thoroughly thought through from the outset, and staff are clearly well trained in the restaurant’s offering and concept – which means it doesn’t matter so much if you have inexperienced staff at your table. If your questions go beyond the rehearsed repertoire, support is quickly brought from the kitchen or in the form of a sommelier who is happy to share knowledge – which they have plenty of.